When Pain Challenges Daily Meditation

The subject of physical pain oftentimes comes up when sharing with people about their meditation practice.   While each person’s circumstance is very different, a few simple adjustments to our perspective and attitude can make a big difference.

“God, let’s do this together.”

Swami Kriyananda wrote the following about overcoming pain:

“A few years ago I had been working very hard, and my heart started to feel very tired and strained. I began sending energy to my heart but with the added thought, ‘God, let’s do this together.’ With that approach came the new understanding of using energy not just with determined will power, but with a consciousness of a flow of health and happiness to that body part. My heart immediately began to respond and quickly returned to feeling well.  By working with God, our will works with an energy that’s already there, and we find we can do a great deal to heal our bodies. Certainly, there are times when it’s necessary to consult a doctor, but as Yogananda once said, ‘Everything works much better when people have faith in God and the divine flow.’”

Heavenly Panacea

A short while ago, I was working through my own healing process in regards to a physical injury. Nothing seemed to be moving forward and I was starting to get discouraged. I prayed to Master to help me to see what I needed to do and to help me to be open in all aspects of my life. One morning in meditation the answer came. “Through your practice of Kriya and your deep love for me, I will shoulder this for you.” This was an interesting choice of words as the injury ostensibly had to do with my shoulder.

When we feel our health impacting our meditations, we need to reach for that heavenly panacea for all life’s challenges: our heartfelt prayer to God for help. Many times what we are already doing is the answer. We just need to remember and draw upon our faith and trust in God.

Changing our Consciousness

In a dream recently, Swami Kriyananda was seated, relaxed in a chair, and smiling.  He said to me, “Come visit me.” I knew he wasn’t in the body. As I always feel his presence, I wondered what he meant?  Where was he that I should visit him? I then awoke and immediately understood that Swamiji was asking me to visit his consciousness, to come into his bliss and step away from my thoughts of physical discomfort and material identification.    The solution to my pain was so simple. Whatever the physical body was experiencing, or I thought it was experiencing, could be transcended by tuning into a greater consciousness centered in bliss and spirit.

When physical pain is disturbing your meditation, place your consciousness more firmly at the spiritual eye. Leave behind the body. When I have done this successfully, there is no thought of discomfort nor the temptation of restlessness.

Practice Affirmations

Affirmations are a powerful way to instill healthy thoughts and support right attitude and perspective. The following is a favorite of mine that we recently practiced as a group in our monthly healing prayer satsangs at Ananda Village. We practiced this for about 15 minutes or so, repeating it out loud as group, eventually in a normal speaking voice, then a whisper and then mentally. When practiced with this kind of depth, one can experience the very cells and atoms of one’s being charged with a new consciousness which supports healing on all levels.  You might try this affirmation and see if it works for you.

“I live, move, and have my being in Spirit, as a fish lives in the water, and a bird in the air.  I will consciously draw strength, health, and happiness from this all-enveloping Presence.”*

 Remember

Above all, remember, you are not the body. Take a few moments to inwardly reflect and find a solution for today that can work for you. It could be a simple shift in consciousness, a glance into the eyes of the Guru, a heartfelt prayer…and a door opens. May it be so.

In Divine Friendship,
Nayaswami Maria

*This affirmation and others can be found in How to Achieve Glowing Health and Vitality by Paramhansa Yogananda